


how my least heartbeat becomes less

by siojo



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Light Angst, Love Triangles, M/M, with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 07:52:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10917537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siojo/pseuds/siojo
Summary: In which Ace is a blacksmith and Marco and Sabo are arranged to be married.prompted with“I don’t want to marry you at all, the person I love is someone else.”





	how my least heartbeat becomes less

**Author's Note:**

  * For [authenticaussie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/authenticaussie/gifts).



> whispers I was looking through the prompts and my FACE split into the b i g g e s t grin when i saw this, so if you wouldn't mind, mas and “I don’t want to marry you at all, the person I love is someone else.” ? ;u; <3

Sabo can smile and pretend better than anyone could imagine, his eyes cold and his fingers aching from the fists that they were clenched in as he resists looking at his new, the word hangs bitter and like lead even in his mind, betrothed.

He grinds his teeth and smiles likes he’s happy as another offers him their congratulations and his betrothed acts like there is nothing wrong, even as rage boils in his stomach and his dinner feels like bile in his throat.

“Actually,” Marco states, hand going to Sabo’s elbow, and easing him backwards. “I would like the chance to speak with Sabo myself, if you don’t mind, Lord Outlook.”

“Of course not,” Outlook says smiling like something disgusting and smarmy. “Whatever you would like.”

Marco smiles and it finally, finally looks forced as he leads Sabo away from him, down a hall and into a room that Sabo doesn’t get much of a look at before Marco is clearing his throat and speaking.

“You don’t seem pleased.” It’s said softly, calmly and with a edge of confusion. “Might I know why?”

“It’s nothing,” Sabo says tasting blood. “I will be a dutiful husband, as I should.”

 “That’s not what I’m asking. Do you dislike me?”

“It’s not-, It’s not that.”

“Then what is it? Is it the wedding?”

Sabo snaps, “I don’t want to marry you at all! The person I love is someone else!”

“Ah,” Marco says softly, his face blank as he leans more heavily against the table beside him. “And your family?”

“They know. It’s, they don’t approve.”

“Will you-could you tell me about them?”

Sabo blinks slowly, “What?”

“I want to know about them. The person you love so much. Tell me?”

“His, his name is Ace. He’s, he’s a blacksmith’s apprentice. He’s amazing. He’s the best friend that I’ve ever had and he,” Sabo smiles softly, besotted. “He tries so hard to help me, to do anything to help me.”

“Does he know? How you feel, I mean.”

Sabo snorts, “Ace is oblivious about romance and it,” Sabo flinches in on himself. “It could never happen. My parents would never allow it.”

“I’m sorry,” Marco says softly. “I don’t think even the king could break the engagement now. Not with how hard your parents went after me to get us arranged, but I can talk to my father and see.”

“I wouldn’t cheat,” Sabo says calmly, forced as he imagines life with Marco, without Ace. “When we marry, I wouldn’t cheat on you. Not even Ace could change that.”

Marco nods, “I understand. Let me see what I can do. Please.”

“It won’t do anything.”

“I can try.”

“If you wish.”

Sabo can’t stop feeling like his heart is breaking. Like each piece of it is shattered further in his chest even as Marco puts a hand on his shoulder and promises to see what he can do. Promises to make _something_ happen.

There is nothing he can do, Sabo knows this. He has known this since his father walked into the library and announced his engagement to Duke Newgate’s oldest son. Marrying Ace was a dream. Something he had always known wouldn’t happen but had wanted so badly that it burned.

Not even Marco could change that.

* * *

 

“So,” Marco drawls leaning against the side of the forge, “This is where you keep running off to. Your parents have been worried sick.”

Ace snorts, “Worried I’m going to follow dad’s example and come home with a barely legitimate son and much younger wife?”

“I think that’s the court. Your parents are worried about you.”

“I know. What are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay away from political maneuvering. Outlook is like the poster child of it.”

 “I’ve been engaged.” Marco watches Ace drop his tongs and spin around, eyes wide with horror. “To Sabo.”

“What?”

Marco nods, “Imagine my surprise when my betrothed decided to tell me that he doesn’t want to marry me because he’s in love with another.”

“Sabo’s in love?” Ace’s heart aches. It feels like it’s being beaten by one of the rounding hammers. “I, I hadn’t heard.”

“You wouldn’t have.”

That hurts even though it’s the truth, even though it’s honest and everything that made Ace fall in love with Marco when they were children. Marco has always, always been the one that is most honest with Ace, even when it hurts.

“Don’t make that face. He wouldn’t have told you because he’s in love with you,” Marco grins at the look on Ace’s face. “Which leaves me in a bit of trouble. I can’t call of the marriage, not after everything. Do you think a Prince could?”

Ace shakes his head, “If, if your marriage has been approved then dad would be the only one able to stop it. When do you?”

“Three days. Sabo has already said that he would be faithful. Even if it meant loosing you.”

“Sabo is a good man. A friend.”

“A piece of your heart.”

Ace swallows, “It’s only fair that both pieces of my heart be together. They’ve been apart for too long.”

“I would be faithful to Sabo, even if it looses me your heart.”

“How can you?” Ace asks finally. “It’s been yours for so long it could never belong to anyone else. The same goes for him.”

Marco moves like he is going to step forward, to bury his hands in Ace’s hair and kiss him like he always does, but he stops and Ace knows what this is.

This is a goodbye.

“He’s my betrothed.”

“I know.” This hurts more than Ace can imagine.

Marco nods, “I can’t.”

“I love you,” Ace says softly. “I love you both. A-,” The word sticks on his tongue like it’s been glued to the roof of his mouth. “And I hope you are happy. That’s all I can ask for.”

“Thank you.”

Ace bites the inside of his cheek as Marco leaves, hands shaking because he wants him to come back. He wants Marco back and he wants Sabo to be his. It feels like his heart is broken when both halves of it are in the manor, without him.

And he can’t do anything.

* * *

 

Marco thinks it’s funny how often he and Sabo find themselves alone. With all the effort that they’ve gone through to avoid each other. He almost, and it hurts to think it, wonders if Ace wasn’t wrong about the two halves of his heart wanting to be together once more.

“He’s gone.” Sabo says finally, eyes red and dark. “Ace.”

“He is?”

“Apparently he left without warning three days ago. Just vanished,” Sabo swallows heavily. “I-I had wanted to say goodbye.”

Marco nods, “I’m sorry, for what it’s worth.”

Sabo smiles, small and almost real, “Thank you.”

And oh, Marco can see how Ace would loose the other half of his heart to this man. To this sweet, kind man who swore to be faithful even though Sabo is so in love with Ace, even though Marco is sure that if Ace had ever asked, that Sabo would have left all of this behind to be with him. Marco knows, he would have done the same.

Would still do the same. But Ace would never ask.

“What are you reading?”

“A letter,” Marco answers. “To my best friend. He’s been travelling but I want him to come, to the wedding, I mean, I’m editing it.”

It will be torture because Ace will come. He will come and smile and be happy for them, even if he hates that they aren’t his. That they never will be. It breaks his heart but Ace is his best friend, everyone knows that, and so he much attend.

“Does he travel often?”

“The Crown Prince does as he pleases,” Marco agrees. “It drives the King mad, but I doubt that he’ll ever stop.”

Sabo nods, “I’m sure he’s a good person, to be your friend.”

“He is.”

“If,” Sabo ducks his head. “If I can get word to Ace, might I invite him? He, he’s my friend before anything else.”

“You can. Of course you can, it’s your wedding too.”

“Just like that?”

Marco nods, “You promised to be faithful, if I can’t trust your word, what can I trust? I promised the same to you, didn’t I?”

“You aren’t inviting a man that you’re in love with to our wedding.”

Marco smiles and wonders if telling Sabo that he was would make a difference. He doesn’t think it would, Marco’s already forced Sabo’s parents to make sure that there’s a seat for Ace at their wedding and the banquet afterwards, just to see Sabo’s smile when he read the name.

* * *

 

“Marry me,” Ace says when he’s four and his voice is lisped where his teeth are missing and his hands are holding a small ring of grass and flowers out to Marco. “Please.”

“You want to marry me?” Marco asks, just two years older than Ace. “Why?”

“Cause! You’re pretty and nice and can read real well and I love you.”

Marco nods, “I love you too!”

“So marry me! My daddy can marry us!”

Roger laughs when they come to him and ask him to marry them, glancing at Edward for his permission and marrying them without concern for what it might do.

* * *

 

“Marry me,” Ace asks softly, just turned ten, on one knee and with a small misshaped metal ring in his shaking hands. “Please.”

“It won’t be real,” Sabo whispers, already too aware of what his role in life was to be. “Not really real.”

“That’s okay, it just has to be real to us. That’s the important part, isn’t it?”

Sabo smiles, “Okay. Okay, let’s get married.”

Rayleigh shakes his head and marries them, not even bothering to ask if Ace knows what he’s doing.

* * *

 

Sabo says I do with his stomach like lead and his hands shaking in Marco’s. It hurts, Ace isn’t here, he isn’t here and this is it. This is the end of anything that he and Ace could have ever been, because Sabo won’t be his parents. He won’t be the one running around and sleeping with anyone that catches his fancy.

“I do,” Marco promises, squeezing Sabo’s hands and hiding the shaking as best he can. It sounds like I’m sorry.

It’s only after they kiss that the King laughs, leaning back on his bench and grinning like the mad man that Sabo’s parents have always called him.

“Your highness,” Marco asks curiously.

“Congratulations on finally making your part of the marriage official,” The king says. “I had been wondering how long it would take you.”

“Pardon?” Sabo asks.

“I’m sure that my son can explain it better than I ever could, can’t you, Ace?”

Ace, Ace who is not a blacksmith, smiles shyly as he stands, tugging on his top, “Marco, remember when you were six?”

“Reme-” Marco pauses. “You made the ring out of flowers.”

“And my dad married us.”

Oh, Sabo thinks slowly. Oh.

“And we were ten, remember Sabo?”

“Your master married us. The ring was the worst piece of metal, all twisted together.”

“Uncle Rayleigh,” Ace says softly.

Silvers Rayleigh.

“We’ve been married for years,” Sabo says and feels like he should be laughing hysterically. “We and you and Marco too?”

“Dad,” Because Ace is the Crown Prince. “Let this marriage happen because he thought that you two, that you would be happy together too.”

“We’re already married to you,” Marco says taking a small step forward, one hand still clasped with Sabo’s. “Ace?”

Ace grins, “Dad says they’re binding. All three of them. He would know, he’s the King.”

Marco surges forward, kissing Ace soft and almost too quickly, hand curled around his cheek, “I love you.”

“I love you,” Ace repeats back, smiling softly before glancing at Sabo. “I love you as well.”

Sabo laughs, wiping the tears from his eyes, “I love you. I love you, so much.”

“You should kiss him then,” Marco says smiling. “Just to let him know.”

“I should,” Sabo says kissing Ace quickly. “I love you.”


End file.
